Affordability
We understand that value for money and affordable services are important to our customers, particularly in these difficult economic times.
However, in many parts of the company we do not control fares. Apart from Greyhound, ticket prices in North America are determined by those who contract our services. In the UK, our Bus division has greater flexibility, except in London where Transport for London determines fares. In our UK Rail division the majority of fares are regulated by the Department for Transport and Transport Scotland.
UK Bus
In our UK Bus division we are conscious that our value for money scores in many parts of the country are lower than we would wish, and that we need to review our fare structures. Bristol, Somerset and Avon was our lowest scoring area. Following the review, we made significant reductions to the cost of a number of tickets. For example our FirstDay Family ticket across the Bristol, Somerset and Avon area was reduced for the summer school holidays by 43% to £10, and we have frozen the cost of our FirstDay Bristol Ticket for two years.
Customer response to these changes was reflected in a sizable increase in the 'value for money' score for this part of the company. This variable also showed the fourth biggest improvement across the UK Bus division in the most recent survey. We will continue to remain mindful of the need to improve value for money. Using customer feedback we are also simplifying our fare structures, making it easier for customers to identify the best deals.
UK Rail
Where we have flexibility in fare structures we seek to ensure we offer a wide range of ticket options to suit our customers' needs and budgets. Significant discounts are available for advanced booking and regular traveller season tickets and carnet tickets are available. We also offer a range of travel deals to help older travellers and families with children, these include Club 55, Super Off-Peak fares, Kids Go Free and Weekend Explorer offers.
Greyhound
In Greyhound we offer a wide range of ticket options. On our Bolt Bus and Greyhound Express services, our $1 fare provides some of the cheapest travel opportunities. We have also extended access to ticket reductions available on our website through partnerships such as 7-Eleven to people who do not have access to credit or debit cards which represents about 50% of our ridership. Through the partnership people can order tickets online or by phone but then pay for them with cash at their local 7-Eleven store. Through a further partnership with Mansfield we are relocating Greyhound agencies to retail stores, making information on our services and fare and ticketing information and purchase available to a much larger proportion of the population. Through these mechanisms we hope to make Greyhound the travel choice for North America, bringing low-cost, sustainable travel available to large sectors of the population.